MADISON, Alabama -- Of all the decisions made at International
Fire Protection in its 23-year history, the recent one to invest $155,000 in
solar panels may have been the easiest.

Ronnie Davidson, right, and Kamran Malek said investing in a $155,000 solar power generating system was a "no-brainer" because it pays for itself in about seven years. (Paul Huggins/phuggins@al.com)

"A no-brainer from a business standpoint," said Ronnie
Davidson, IFP vice president.

Unless the sun takes an extended holiday, the solar-power
generating system that went active earlier this week should pay for itself in
six to seven years, due largely to a 20-year contract with Tennessee Valley
Authority. The first 10 years of the contract guarantee TVA will pay a price
that covers the investment.

IFP, however, is one of the few in Madison County to see the
panel purchase as an easy decision, and was the first business in the City of Madison
to hook up to the power grid. Solar power advocates believe a growing number of
businesses and homeowners will seek the sun now that IFP has removed some key
permitting obstacles and TVA as made changes that can create erratic utility
rates.

International Fire Protection President Kamran Malek said his company, which has nine regional
offices serving the Southeast, has always been environmentally minded, but the
owners opted for the solar panels after seeing the system pays for itself in
about a quarter of its 25- to 30-year lifecycle.

"I'm constantly thinking there's much more you can do other
than recycling," Malek said. "And everybody needs to contribute."

IFP's ground-mounted
solar system is expected to generate nearly 70 kilowatt-hours of clean,
renewable energy per year, or enough to power seven single family homes annually. There are 171 individual panels that connect
to form two wings measuring a total of 14 feet by 210 feet. The panels are
mounted to the ground, which is cheaper than a rooftop installation.

Huntsville-based Redstone
Energy Group managed the project using Tennessee-based, ACC Construction as the general
contractor and Alabama-based companies, 4Site Inc. and Ssoe Group, to design
the system.

Redstone Energy Group President
Cole Walker said getting that first business connected to the grid is more
significant to the overall spread of solar power in the state than any new
business it could bring his company.

Alabama has been slow
to engage with solar energy, while just across the state line, Tennessee has
had rapid expansion, he said.

Tennessee enacted tax
incentives not offered in Alabama that made solar investment more enticing,
Walker said, and Alabama faces another obstacle in that solar power is still mostly
an untested practice. This can lead to costs outside of equipment installation
to include extra time spent getting zoning approval and building permits, he
said.

Malek added that banks
were hesitant to give loans on something they've never given loans to
previously.

Walker said the
biggest accomplishment of IFP's installment was "streamlining" the
permitting process that will make it easier and swifter for the next solar
applicant in Madison.

Madison Building
Director Jimmy Morgan said the main issue his department had to solve was whether
or not the solar structures, which had their own electric meters, were
considered separate buildings that required their own addresses. Some of the
smaller issues dealt with property line setback requirements.

The common issue with
both the building and planning departments was the city was dealing with
something entirely new, he said.

"It was just simply a
situation where we had an outdated, antiquated zoning ordinance that didn't foresee
this type of installation," Morgan said. "I think everybody understands what
they're doing now. The next time should be a lot faster."

IFP made its deal with TVA based on its Green Power Providers program
that paid 12 cents per kilowatt hour. That offer ended last year, and TVA
established a new program that now pays 9 cents per kilowatt hour.

Solar panels on display at Redstone Energy Group's demonstration site at Airport Road and South Memorial Parway. (File photo)

While the incentive dollars have decreased, Walker said ongoing
advances in solar technology continue to lower the price of installation, and
he expects increasing demand for solar power, especially before some federal
incentives end in 2016.

Davidson said another reason he expects more business to
seek solar power is because TVA is implementing a time meter system that
measures peak energy usage for each site on a daily basis. That's a change from
the practice of charging rates based on peak demand from cumulative businesses
attached to the power grid.

In the past, some energy users needed more power during
non-peak hours, and therefore, paid for a lower rate, he said, noting Athens
Utilities has already switched to the time meters.

"When TVA goes fully on the time meter, everybody is going
to see the prices increase and probably will see their rate charges vary each
month. And everyone is going to look for some way to stabilize those prices," Davidson
said.

Malek said he will wait to see how the IFP's solar power
system works at the Madison office and what changes might occur with government
incentives before deciding to expand solar energy to its other eight locations.

Still, he said he enjoys being a trendsetter and hopes his
actions can encourage others to follow suit.